1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to diodes such as light emitting diodes (LED) or vertical cavity surface emitting laser diodes, particularly a replaceable module for a light emitting diode.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a prior art module for mounting a LED as disclosed in USPTO Publication No. 2004/0227146. A LED 10 has a top electrode 101 and a bottom electrode 102. The LED 10 is clamped between an upper metal bracket 11, which is connected to the tops electrodes 101, and a lower metal plate 12, which is connected to the bottom electrode 102. The upper metal bracket 11 and the lower metal plate 12 are locked in place by a clamp (not shown), and are used as terminals for a surface mount module.
The drawback of such a structure is that it is inconvenient to replace a defective or different color LED in the module. To replace a LED, the clamp must be dismantled.